


Grimmauld Place

by zephsomething



Series: Surviving the War [41]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Number Twelve Grimmauld Place
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:28:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24412846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zephsomething/pseuds/zephsomething
Summary: It's the first day of the first year of Harry and Hermione's school, Grimmauld Place, school for magical and magically adjacent students.
Relationships: Hermione Granger & Harry Potter
Series: Surviving the War [41]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/813804
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	Grimmauld Place

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone say hello to my So Many OCs. I love them.

Harry and Hermione had spent much of the last year finding professors for Grimmauld Place. Hermione had spent any spare time she had running office to office to find registrations of squibs and kids who were partly or fully non-human, any kids who hadn’t been invited to Hogwarts. The squibs had been easy enough to find, there was a registration for them after all but the same could not be said for kid’s who were only part human. It took Hermione a good deal of asking around, and several times of dragging Harry along behind her, to locate anyone who might have magical ability but have not been invited to Hogwarts. Even with their reputations and the pull of Harry’s name it had taken her a good chunk of the year to locate their possible student body. Then she’d sent out letters to possible students even as Harry was sending out letters to possible professors.

Harry’s biggest project had come after he’d found the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. His name was Lewis Reed and his stature matched his last name. In the last few weeks of the summer Harry and Professor Reed were often found in Grimmauld Place’s kitchen with their heads bent over Harry’s second set of _Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts_ which he’d bought when he decided to leave his first set at Hogwarts. They drew up lesson plans and came up with practical non-magical solutions to each of the spells and creatures they came across. The lesson they spent the most time on was werewolves, as there were three of them in the student body the lesson plan had to be practical without talking like werewolves were dangerous all the time. It also had to include ways to help when you were the werewolf. Making sure you ate a lot of calories during the days around and during the full moon was second only to taking your wolfsbane potion.

“So, make sure you emphasize that they’re really only dangerous if they don’t take their potion.” Harry tapped on the paper Reed was taking notes on. “Still make sure the kids can tell a turned werewolf from a regular wolf of course and know the best ways to deal with both, ideally without killing either.”

“Can I ask you a question Potter?” Reed raised an eyebrow at Harry as he finished writing notes.

“Course.”

“Why haven’t you written a book on defense? You’ve got arguably the most experience dealing with the dark arts and you have so many solutions, why not write them down?”

“Nah, that’s Hermione.” He waved a hand. “I’ve got experience sure but I’m not much good at writing all my thoughts out and I’d just be paraphrasing books that are already out for the most part.”

“If you say so sir.” From Reed’s expression he didn’t believe Harry but like most wizarding folk he was unwilling to argue with him.

“Besides which, there are already far to many books out with my name on them.”

“Harry I finally found us a potions professor!” Hermione called out as she came through the door, her nose was so close to the papers she was looking at that she’d gotten ink on it. “Her name is Breanne Sherman and she can also brew the wolfsbane potion so we won’t have to worry about that she can just make it als- oh, hello professor Reed.”

Reed waved slightly as Hermione finally looked up from her paper to see the two of them sitting at the table. “Hello, we were just about done in fact. I’ll head off then, unless you need something else Potter?”

“Not at all.” Harry waved a hand and Reed gathered up all their notes and headed off.

“It’s all coming together.” Hermione grinned and handed Harry a piece of parchment. “Look, we’ve got lists and everything.”

Harry grinned at her before looking the parchment over. Both sides of the page were labeled in Hermione’s easy cursive, the front listed professors and the back students.

****

**_Professors_ **

_Lewis Reed (Defense Against the Dark Arts)_

_Susan Kane (Charms/Transfiguration)_

_Sven Morse (Herbology)_

_Coleen Crewe (Astronomy)_

_Hector Hume (History of Magic)_

_Breanne Sherman (Potions)_

_Erin Stark (Care of Magical Creatures)_

_Jessica Williams (Muggle Studies)_

****

**_Students_ **

_Kendall Quickley (squib, 11)_

_Connor Brooks (squib, 13)_

_Patrice Wilkinson (squib, 14)_

_Emmett Jinks (squib, 11)_

_Niamh Malloye (squib, 12)_

_Bruce McNeil (squib, 14)_

_Clarissa Hodson (werewolf, 15)_

_Charlene Knight (werewolf, 16)_

_Drake Grey (werewolf, 12)_

_Jennifer Neil (half-giant, 12)_

_Pamela Marsden (half-veela, 11)_

“Ah, Mr Marsden got back to you then?” Harry tapped on the bottom of the students list.

“Yes, he’s agreed to let Pamela come on a trial basis but he’s not sure about the whole thing.” Hermione shrugged. “I told him that I’ve got a cousin who’s part veela and she managed just fine at school, that seemed to reassure him a little but I think it was mostly how small this school is comparatively.”

“That had to have helped yeah.” He nodded and handed it back to her. “We ready for tomorrow then?”

“I am but I don’t have to be in as many places as you do.” Hermione smirked slightly at him and he grinned back.

“Here in the morning, Hogwarts in the afternoon. It’ll be fine.” Harry shrugged and stifled a yawn. “We should both get some sleep though.”

“You go sleep; I want to go over everything-”

“Hermione.” He crossed his arms and she frowned at him. “Coffee isn’t a substitute for sleep, do you really want to be tired tomorrow?”

“Fine, yes you’re right.” She rolled her eyes and stacked all her papers back together. “See you in the morning?”

“Bright and early!” He grinned, waiting for her to apparite home before he did the same. In the letters they’d sent to the students they’d said to be at Grimmauld Place at 11am, the time the train to hogwarts usually left, which would give Harry nearly four hours before he needed to leave Grimmauld Place for Hogwarts. The professors however had been told to arrive between 9 and 10 am to give them a chance to settle in before the students arrived.

Harry arrived at quarter to 9 and was second only to Hermione who was already sitting at the table with ink still on her nose and fingers. All of the house elves except Kreacher were bustling around the kitchen already putting out some breakfast and preparing for lunch. Almost immediately after Harry arrived there was a knock on the door followed by Kreacher’s voice.

“Master Potter is in the kitchen.” He still didn’t call anyone other than Harry, Hermione, and Andromeda sir or ma’am but at the very least he’d long since stopped muttering slurs under his breath at everyone.

“Thanks, Kreacher.” The cheerful voice that answered him belonged to Susan Kane who Harry had been thrilled to find. According to anyone he’d asked about her she’d always been more interested in the reasons and theory behind charms and transfigurations than the actual spells themselves. A weird sort of witch no doubt but that’s what you get from Ravenclaws. She bustled into the kitchen with a grin at both of them. “Hello Harry, Hermione. I’m the first then? Good, good.”

“Hello Susan.” Harry grinned back and Hermione just added a check on her parchment.

“And they said I was a weird one.” Susan helped herself to a pastry as she leaned over Hermione to look at the notes she had spread around. “Glad you were always on our side miss.”

“Thanks.” Hermione answered distractedly as she gathered all her papers together so the lists of professors and students were the only visible ones.

Before anyone thought of anything else to say there was a series of knocks and Kreacher’s voice. “In the kitchen.”

“How do you always get here first Susan?” Lewis Reed came through the door followed by Stven Morse and Hector Hume.

“Practice Lewis.” Susan grinned at him and Harry chuckled. Reed managed to look even reedier next to Susan. “Hello.”

“Hello!” Hector reached forward to shake her hand with a wide grin on his face. His blue eyes stood out against dark skin and messy dark hair giving him an oddly wide-eyed sort of appearance.

Stven nodded slowly as he looked around. He was tall and muscular and looked even more as Mimi, the smallest of Grimmauld Place’s house elves, appeared beside him offering him tea.

Neither Jessica Williams nor Breanne Sherman knocked as they came through the doors and straight into the kitchen. The only reason Harry’s eyes didn’t glide right over Jessica was that Breanne was standing next to her, otherwise she looked so ordinary he might not have noticed she’d come in. Breanne was tiny with bright red hair that she kept plaited and a smile that was so small it was easy to miss.

The chatter among the staff increased after that until just before 10am there was an odd sort of knock followed by an annoyed noise from Kreacher. “Doesn’t even wait for the door to open, no just knock and walk in why don’t you?”

“Oh dear, I’m last, aren’t I?” Erin Stark blinked large eyes as she looked around the kitchen, her hair was even larger and her skin was even paler than it had when Harry had interviewed her for the position of Care of Magical Creatures professor.

“Coleen still isn’t here.” Hermione frowned glancing at the clock on the wall which showed the minute hand creeping past 10am.

“Ah, good then.” Erin’s large grin seemed out of place against Hermione’s frown. Erin didn’t seem to notice Hermione’s frown at all thought as she breezed over to the table and took a muffin.

Susan snorted as Hermione’s cheek twitched and Hector returned to his tangent about the goblin wars. Harry was pleased to learn that he’d been correct in school, in a professor other than Binns’ hands these things were actually interesting.

At quarter after ten there was a clattering sort of noise and Coleen Crewe herself stuttered into the room with her arms full of books and a long parchment trailing after her. Her grey hair frizzed out from under the pointed hat she was wearing and she pushed her glasses up. “Sorry I’m late, there was an owl and I couldn’t just, well, you understand of course.”

“Yes fine.” Hermione made a mark on her parchment and swapped it for the students list. “Well we’d best move to the entrance hall so the elves have room to clean.”

“Plus, we’d like the students to actually see professors as they enter.” Harry grinned around at everyone and squeezed Hermione’s shoulder as he passed.

The entrance area was now quite large as Harry had removed an entire section of wall. There were couches and chairs scattered around and most of the professors quite happily took seats. Hermione perched on the chair closest to the door.

Now that they’d moved Kreacher headed back towards the kitchen but not before shooting another glare at Erin and pointedly rubbing his nose.

First of the students to arrive was Bruce McNeil, who surveyed the professors with an expression that clearly showed how little he trusted any of them. His black hair was brushed perfectly and his mother fussed at his robes before leaving without really saying anything to anyone.

“Hello, you must be Bruce.” Jessica smiled and held a hand out towards him. “I’m Professor Williams, I teach muggle studies. It’s a fascinating subject I promise.”

“My mother said this was a school of magic.” He frowned at her hand and pulled his trunk closer to himself.

“Course it is.” She shrugged and dropped her hand. “I got my NEWT in muggle studies at Hogwarts but the test only covered old muggle subjects, I intend to teach more accurately, modern muggle studies.”

“Would young master like to be shown to the student’s dormitory?” Zaree had come out of the kitchen when Harry wasn’t looking and was currently grinning at a very confused looking Bruce. “To put your trunk down?”

“Sure…” He trailed off and followed the elf like he wasn’t really sure what to make of them.

Drake Grey and Jennifer Neil arrived at almost exactly the same time. Jennifer’s father was a big man but Jennifer was already both taller and broader than he was. Her father patted her arm as he left but she was already peppering Hector with questions that he seemed thrilled to answer.

Beside her Drake was clearly trying to make himself invisible as Breanne assured his parents that she was quite adept at making the wolfsbane potion and no really, it wouldn’t be necessary to cage any students at the full moon. When it became clear that her assurances weren’t working, she finally snapped out that her partner was a werewolf and if they were going to insist on being foolish, they could just leave. At that point Susan bustled over to the group of them, all smiles and calm. Unnoticed by the surrounding adults Drake followed Zaree off to the dorms when they came back from dropping off Bruce’s luggage. Zaree snapped their fingers at Jennifer’s luggage and it floated in front of the two of them.

By the time Niamh Malloye walked through the door Drake, Bruce, and Jennifer had all found seats. Niamh’s mother attempted a smile around at the lot of them and then hugged Niamh before leaving. Once she came back from dropping off her trunk Niamh stationed herself beside Jennifer and Hector, joining in once she figured out what they were talking about.

Clarissa Hodson and Charlene Knight arrived together and without either of their parents. They exchanged the sort of grins that made Harry think of the twins right before a prank. Of the two Clarissa was larger, muscle on top of big bones, and topped off with copper hair that was pulled into a ponytail. Next to her Charlene looked even slighter than she already was but she was darker than Clarissa and had bright eyes that scanned the room as soon as she entered. As soon as their luggage was stored, they moved straight to where Drake was trying valiantly to disappear into his seat and sat on either side of him. They chattered over his head until he untensed enough to join the conversation.

Next time the door opened little Emmett Jinks bounced through the door talking a mile a minute at his parents, who had a harassed look about them. He had freckles scattered over his nose, dirt under his fingers, and Stven stepped forward to greet his family. The parents relaxed immediately as Emmett turned his chatter on Stven instead. As they had with Jennifer, Zaree didn’t bother trying to get Emmett’s attention just took his trunk and walked off with it.

Connor Brooks, Kendall Quickley, and Patrice Wilkinson all arrived at the same time and only moments after Emmett’s parents had left. Patrice had her curly golden hair tied back and looked around the room with a small frown until her eyes landed on Harry, then she nodded and followed Zaree easily when she took the boys trunks and walked back towards the dorms. Connor’s brown eyes and big grin were fixed on Kendall who was loudly talking about a quidditch match he’d seen recently.

The very last to show up, just ten minutes before noon, was Pamela. She drifted in through the door with her father close on her heels. Her father was a large man with calloused hands and dark hair but she seemed the exact opposite, small, pale, and so quiet she would be easily missed behind her father’s cloak.

“Now Pammy are you sure you want to do this?” He frowned and from the look on her face Harry guessed this wasn’t the first time today she’d been asked. The trunk lifted itself up and drifted off down the hall to where Zaree was waiting for it without either of them noticing.

As she murmured a quiet reply to her father Harry leaned over and tapped Hermione’s arm. Based on Pamela’s face this was going to take a minute. “Want to start moving people towards the kitchen?”

“Good plan.” Hermione nodded and started pointing people in that direction. For a moment Charlene and Clarissa seemed about to ignore her, they were watching Pamela with interest, but then Drake’s stomach growled. All three of them moved easily towards the kitchen after that.

Within minutes just Harry, Lewis, Pamela, and her father were left in the entry room.

“If anything at all happens-”

“It wont.” Pamela’s voice was quiet and almost toneless.

“Just call me, I’ll come right away.” He continued as though she hadn’t spoken at all. “Even if you just want to talk, I’m always available.”

“It’ll be fine.” She insisted and when her father opened his mouth again Reed stepped forward.

“Really sir we have some amazing staff here, nearly one per student in fact.”

“Are you expecting something to happen, that’s quite a lot of staff.” Her father frowned and Reed’s cheek twitched. Harry was certain he’d only just avoided rolling his eyes.

“There are seven classes so we have seven professors.” Harry stepped forward and held out a hand. “I’m Harry Potter, pleased to meet you Mr. Marsden, I run the school.”

“You don’t teach here? What about the Granger woman who contacted me? I thought she ran the school?”

“Technically we both run it, we started it together. Neither of us teach here though, we both have other jobs.” Harry shook his head. “I teach at Hogwarts and she works in the ministry, Department of Magical Creatures.”

The man’s face started to turn a colour that reminded Harry a bit of his uncle Vernon when magic was mentioned.

“Just leave already! Stop hovering!” Pamela snarled stomping her foot. Her father looked down at her, the colour rapidly draining from his face at the clear anger on hers, the first emotion she’d shown since arriving. Before he could respond she turned and stormed off in the direction the others had gone.

“It’s been lovely meeting you but we are about to have our welcome lunch.” Harry smiled one hand resting on the door as her father was left with no real choice but to leave.

“This should be an interesting year.” Reed nodded as he led the way down the hall to the kitchen.

Harry couldn’t help but agree, he was both glad and a bit disappointed he was only going to be popping in and out. “Very interesting.”


End file.
